#DudesGreetingDudes challenges — and changes — the way we talk about catcalling.

#DudesGreetingDudes is my favorite of all the conversations launched by the catcall video.

Comedian and entrepreneur Elon James White launched the Twitter hashtag over the weekend in response to a common refrain when women complain about street harassment — that it's just harmless banter, guys tossing out compliments, lettin' the ladies know how nice they look.

The catcall video, in case you missed it, captured a young woman walking around Manhattan for 10 hours in August. A man walking in front of her carried a camera hidden in his backpack, which picked up more than 100 instances of harassing comments, not including the whistling and nonverbals.

It quickly went viral and spawned multiple parodies, including a hilarious Funny or Die video of a young white man collecting high-fives and small business loan offers as he walks around New York and a cleverly coy Buzzfeed video of women catcalling men. ("Oh, hey! You look like you love commitment!" "Bet those arms could put together my IKEA furniture!")

#DudesGreetingDudes also flips catcalling on its head, but in a way that actually addresses what's so sinister about the comments — that women don't want them. Aren't asking for them, don't appreciate them, feel unsafe in the face of them.

Showing what it would be like for guys to be catcalled by women brings levity and context to the conversation. #DudesGreetingDudes changes it.

"Dudes," White began his inaugural tweet. "If you feel society has lost its decency, let's bring it back. Let's start the #DudesGreetingDudes movement! Say hi to each other!"

And then: "These women don't get it! Y'all just want to say hi. What's wrong with hi?!?! So let's just leave them out completely. #DudesGreetingDudes."

"You see a dude in a nice suit, just roll up on him like 'Damn. You wearing that suit. Hmm Hmm!' #DudesGreetingDudes"

His fellow tweeters quickly joined in.

"if you didn't want me to comment why you leave out the house in a muscle t! #dudesgreetingdudes"

"Bro, what do you expect me to do when you wear that deep V? Don't advertise what ain't on sale #DudesGreetingDudes #Vnecks #HealthyMasculinity"

"You can't even take a compliment bro? Fine, you look fat anyway! #DudesGreetingDudes"

Some critics have called the tweets homophobic for implying that men hitting on other men is inappropriate. Those critics miss the point. Men hitting on other men who don't want to be hit on is inappropriate. James White clarified as much with this tweet:

"It's not that it's wrong for 2 men to engage in the scenarios mentioned on #DudesGreetingDudes. But it would be wrong if it was unwanted."

Or, as another tweeter posted, "Homophobia. The fear that men will treat you the way you treat women. #DudesGreetingDudes"

The catcall video isn't perfect; numerous writers criticized its race and class issues, noting that white men were largely absent from the ranks of harassers, even though the director admitted "a fair amount of white guys" engaged in catcalling while they were taping.

But it's got people talking about street harassment at a volume that we haven't — at least I haven't — heard before. That's invaluable. Particularly if we make some headway on combating the notion that catcalls are harmless compliments.